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Parents use Facebook to keep tabs on their children

Mums and dads use social media and mobile phones to find out what their children are up to

More and more parents are turning to Facebook to keep up with their children, according to a new survey for National Family Week (NFW).

Over half of around 5,000 parents polled worried that their children were overly preoccupied with social networking and mobile phones. But 20% admitted finding Facebook the best way to keep tabs on what their children are up to. The study found that parents sent an average 600 texts and 312 emails to keep up with their kids, not to mention hours on the phone.

A sixth of parents said technology negatively affected family life and a third planned mobiles at the dinner table.

“Having to contact your children in these ways is a consequence of modern life,” agreed Nick Henry for NFW. “But advances in technology have had advantages too. “Twenty years ago it would be harder to keep track of the family throughout the day.”